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Wasn't Faison an ALA up to now? If so, it would be helpful for the article to note that and investigate why the ALA model didn't work and how the teachers' plan differs from the ALA model.
The ALAs were Weil, King, Fort Pitt, Colfax, Northview Heights, Arlington, Murray, and the former Rooney. All of these schools remained in the ten (10) LOWEST-ACHIEVING PPS Elementary Schools throughout the last six years.
The ALA model had very limited success (depending on the year) in the eight ALA schools (as cited above).
The America's Choice model was NOT SUCCESSFUL here or nationally and has been bought out by Pearson.
The most dangerous thing that afflicts chronically failing schools are new experiments. The danger is greater when they are thrown together quickly. I know the community was never informed about these changes. I also believe there was never a presentation to the Board.
I do not question the sincerity of those involved, but when have these experiments worked(see ALAs)?
The article is in many ways astounding: (1) Jeannine French, district chief of school performance, said districtwide interventions -- such as changes in the core curriculum and academic coaches -- weren't significantly improving achievement at Faison.
"We decided we were going to do something drastically different,"
Randall Taylor - "Here the District is admitting they do not know what to do!"
(2)The school -- which started out as the New Homewood Elementary School and then was named in honor of beloved longtime educator Helen S. Faison -- at one time was an arts academy.
In 2006, it was paired with Crescent, an old school building in Homewood, to make a K-8 school, with grades K-4 in the new building and 5-8 in the old.
This school year, Faison has been transformed once again, this time as a K-5 turnaround school with 512 students, a new principal, addition of a design director, replacement of 81 percent of the teaching staff and the ability for teachers to design the school's direction.
Randall Taylor says-"Haphazard, ill-thought out, lacking in long range strategic planning. I assume accountibility is for certain students and communities."
Rather than impose a model from the central office, she said, the district turned to a "true teacher empowerment model."
Randall Taylor -"The foundation of Rooseveltism was central command and control. Does this experiment say that strong central admin control and Core Curriculmn does not work for failing schools?"
Many of this year's Faison teachers have low system seniority, so about half of the staff is among the 285 city teachers who recently received provisional furlough notices.
Randall Taylor- "So you create a school where teacher run the show, yet the teachers in this school are so low in experience they are displaced. Should this experiment be conducted by seasoned experienced teachers?"
Becoming the district's first 90/90/90 school is one of Faison's goals. "I would like to see this within three years," Ms. French said.
Randall Taylor-"The article states that the first year was teachers creating there plans-- that is 1 year. Half the teachers are displaced so we assume that the new teachers will need that same year to create their plan-- 2 years. Year 3 is rolling out everything, and learning what is working and not working. Year 4 is putting it all together. Year 5-- is it working. Year 6(see ALAs)"
The PPS will give as many new experimental programs as these communities will except.
What ever happened to the Accelerated Learing Academies??
The Ivory Tower types throw idea's against a wall & hope something sticks.
Teacher are set up to fail
The people running this district lack ethos, they care only about their resumes not the kids or the district.
Getting rid of teachers to balance the budget is crime. Lets stop creating postions such as Directors positions for PELA's.
Kids need teachers not HR directors and the such, not more pople to scrunitze teachers and all the B.S. positions in the office of effective teaching, what a joke. Our administration is big enough to run a district five times this size.
All of Randall Taylor's points are very well taken. PPS's problems are all located in central office and the only response they ever make is we have to "do something." Now, its we have to do "something drastically different." Yet, all other schools are tied to the scripted "managed" curriculum that IS NOT WORKING. Why?
The Accelerated Learning Academies DID NOT after 6 years give us anything close to 90/90/90 schools.
SUCCESS SCHOOLS at Faison is what has been termed a "despertate measure" but why are our schools in such "desperate" condition?
There is no displine in our schools, Jobs and Bonuses are tied to how many kids Principals do not suspend. Most of our schools are in a state of chaos, and it will only get worse next year. Everything is about rating and getting rid of teachers thats the main agenda in the PPS. We desparately need displine in our schools, PELA trained Principals have had no relevant training on disipline they only know how to RISE teachers and blame them for all that goes wrong.
9 comments:
Wasn't Faison an ALA up to now? If so, it would be helpful for the article to note that and investigate why the ALA model didn't work and how the teachers' plan differs from the ALA model.
What about the PBIS pilot and the Teaching and Learning Environment Specialist?
No, Faison was NEVER an ALA!
The ALAs were Weil, King, Fort Pitt, Colfax, Northview Heights, Arlington, Murray, and the former Rooney. All of these schools remained in the ten (10) LOWEST-ACHIEVING PPS Elementary Schools throughout the last six years.
The ALA model had very limited success (depending on the year) in the eight ALA schools (as cited above).
The America's Choice model was NOT SUCCESSFUL here or nationally and has been bought out by Pearson.
The most dangerous thing that afflicts chronically failing schools are new experiments. The danger is greater when they are thrown together quickly. I know the community was never informed about these changes. I also believe there was never a presentation to the Board.
I do not question the sincerity of those involved, but when have these experiments worked(see ALAs)?
The article is in many ways astounding:
(1) Jeannine French, district chief of school performance, said districtwide interventions -- such as changes in the core curriculum and academic coaches -- weren't significantly improving achievement at Faison.
"We decided we were going to do something drastically different,"
Randall Taylor - "Here the District is admitting they do not know what to do!"
(2)The school -- which started out as the New Homewood Elementary School and then was named in honor of beloved longtime educator Helen S. Faison -- at one time was an arts academy.
In 2006, it was paired with Crescent, an old school building in Homewood, to make a K-8 school, with grades K-4 in the new building and 5-8 in the old.
This school year, Faison has been transformed once again, this time as a K-5 turnaround school with 512 students, a new principal, addition of a design director, replacement of 81 percent of the teaching staff and the ability for teachers to design the school's direction.
Randall Taylor says-"Haphazard, ill-thought out, lacking in long range strategic planning. I assume accountibility is for certain students and communities."
Rather than impose a model from the central office, she said, the district turned to a "true teacher empowerment model."
Randall Taylor -"The foundation of Rooseveltism was central command and control. Does this experiment say that strong central admin control and Core Curriculmn does not work for failing schools?"
Many of this year's Faison teachers have low system seniority, so about half of the staff is among the 285 city teachers who recently received provisional furlough notices.
Randall Taylor- "So you create a school where teacher run the show, yet the teachers in this school are so low in experience they are displaced. Should this experiment be conducted by seasoned experienced teachers?"
Becoming the district's first 90/90/90 school is one of Faison's goals. "I would like to see this within three years," Ms. French said.
Randall Taylor-"The article states that the first year was teachers creating there plans-- that is 1 year. Half the teachers are displaced so we assume that the new teachers will need that same year to create their plan-- 2 years. Year 3 is rolling out everything, and learning what is working and not working. Year 4 is putting it all together. Year 5-- is it working. Year 6(see ALAs)"
The PPS will give as many new experimental programs as these communities will except.
What ever happened to the Accelerated Learing Academies??
Its all a Dog & Pony show
The Ivory Tower types throw idea's against a wall & hope something sticks.
Teacher are set up to fail
The people running this district lack ethos, they care only about their resumes not the kids or the district.
Getting rid of teachers to balance the budget is crime. Lets stop creating postions such as Directors positions for PELA's.
Kids need teachers not HR directors and the such, not more pople to scrunitze teachers and all the B.S. positions in the office of effective teaching, what a joke. Our administration is big enough to run a district five times this size.
I work for Idiots
All of Randall Taylor's points are very well taken. PPS's problems are all located in central office and the only response they ever make is we have to "do something." Now, its we have to do "something drastically different."
Yet, all other schools are tied to the scripted "managed" curriculum that IS NOT WORKING. Why?
The Accelerated Learning Academies DID NOT after 6 years give us anything close to 90/90/90 schools.
SUCCESS SCHOOLS at Faison is what has been termed a "despertate measure" but why are our schools in such "desperate" condition?
There is no displine in our schools, Jobs and Bonuses are tied to how many kids Principals do not suspend. Most of our schools are in a state of chaos, and it will only get worse next year. Everything is about rating and getting rid of teachers thats the main agenda in the PPS. We desparately need displine in our schools, PELA trained Principals have had no relevant training on disipline they only know how to RISE teachers and blame them for all that goes wrong.
Rule number one from the Broad Foundation.
Create chaos.
Pure propaganda from PPS. And thanks to Eleanor Chute, who now writes public relations pieces instead of news.
No teacher should be fired.
Other means should have been found, starting with the inordinate number of administrators in the district.
This is another article written to push the public to the idea that the union's hold on seniority should be scrapped.
I wonder how Ms.Chute can look herself in the mirror and use the words "journalistic integrity."
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